What is StarCraft II?

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is the long-awaited sequel to the original StarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment’s critically acclaimed sci-fi real-time strategy game. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is both a challenging single-player game and a fast-paced multiplayer game, and it also taps into Battle.net – Blizzard Entertainment’s fully-featured online gaming service. So, what exactly is StarCraft II? Read on and find out.

What is a Real-Time Strategy Game?

In typical real-time strategy games, players build armies and vie for control of the battlefield. The armies in play can be as small as a single squad of Marines or as large as a full-blown planetary invasion force. As commander, you observe the battlefield from a top-down perspective and issue orders to your units in real time. Strategic thinking is key to success; you need to gather information about your opponents, anticipate their moves, outflank their attacks, and formulate a winning strategy.

The Races of StarCraft II

StarCraft II features three distinct ’races’ whose armies comprise entirely unique units and structures. Each race has its own strengths and weaknesses, and knowing their tactical profiles can mean the difference between glorious victory or crushing defeat.

Multiplayer

The Blizzard Battle.net Desktop App is your gateway to playing Blizzard games online. The StarCraft II multiplayer mode puts your skills to the ultimate test as you battle against (or alongside) human players on leagues and ladders. Powered by an advanced automated matchmaking system, ranked matches will pit you against players who are near your skill level, so you will always find a fair challenge. And if you want to take a break from competitive ranked games, you can also try more relaxed custom games.

Character Profiles

Friends List

The Blizzard Battle.net app offers in and out-of-game social networking features to improve your online play experience. You can send broadcast messages to all your friends, keep in touch across different Blizzard games, and stay up-to-date with your friends’ activity.

Online Matchmaking

Whether you play on the competitive ladder or enjoy custom games and maps, our advanced matchmaking system is there to find you the perfect match.

Competitive Play

Prove your skill on the StarCraft II ranked leagues and ladders. Our matchmaking system accurately places you in the optimal league and division for your skill level.

Custom Maps and Game Types

We’ve placed the same level editor used to create StarCraft II in your hands. You can create your own maps and mods, share them with your friends, and play them through the Blizzard Battle.net Desktop App.

Data in the Cloud

Wherever you go, your StarCraft II progress can follow. StarCraft II allows you to store your single-player progress in the cloud, so if you ever have to re-install the game or want to play on more than one computer, you can pick up right where you left off.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Single-Player Campaign

Launch the Single-Player Campaign to continue the story where StarCraft: Brood War left off. Lead Raynor’s Raiders through an epic campaign and unravel the story of a universe on the brink of destruction. You can also play custom single-player games against the computer if you just want to practice.